SHF: Small: A Register Transfer Level Toolset for Low Power Asynchronous Design Using Null Convention Logic

手机和笔记本电脑等设备中的现代信息处理电路以固定的速度运行，称为时钟速度。 随着时钟速度的提高，可以在更短的时间内处理更多的数据，从而允许使用流视频和音频等密集型应用。 随着时钟速度的增加，运行电路所需的功率也会增加。 一种新的方法根本不需要时钟信号。 在这种称为异步处理的方法中，数据将在可用时立即处理。 异步电路可以提供非常快的数据处理能力，同时还可以降低功耗。 另一个优点是，最近已经设计出了监控从时钟电路辐射的信号的方法，这些方法可以允许窃贼获得正在处理的数据的副本。 异步电路使这种形式的数据窃取更加困难，因此是更安全的电路。 不幸的是，用于设计异步电路的方法是非常不成熟的，必须解决几个重要的研究问题，使这项技术得到广泛的应用。 该项目提出了解决这些问题的方法，研究将使异步设计方法得到更充分的发展，并最终使异步电路得到普遍使用。 在诸如笔记本电脑和手机之类的设备中具有异步数据处理电路的影响是，这些设备将消耗更少的功率，从而允许它们在对电池充电之前运行更长的时间。 对于某些应用，异步电路的性能将得到提高，因为一旦数据可用，就会对其进行处理。 相比之下，时钟电路必须等到下一个时钟周期才能进行进一步的数据处理。 最后，异步电路提供了更高的安全性，可以抵御某些被称为“侧信道”攻击的数据窃取攻击。 这将防止数据窃贼通过监听从您的设备发出的信号来访问您的数据。

Modern information processing circuits found in devices such as cell phones and laptop computers run a fixed speed, known as a clock speed. As clock speeds increase, more data can be processed in a shorter time allowing for intensive applications such as streaming video and audio to be used. As clock speeds increase, the amount of power required to run the circuits also increases. A new approach would require no clock signal at all. In this approach, called asynchronous processing, data would be processed as soon as it is available. Asynchronous circuits can provide very fast data processing capabilities while also reducing the amount of power consumed. Another advantage is that recently methods have been devised that monitor signals radiated from clocked circuits that can allow thieves to obtain copies of the data being processed. Asynchronous circuits make this form of data theft much harder and are therefore more secure circuits. Unfortunately, the methods used to design asynchronous circuits are very immature and several important research problems must be solved to enable this technology to become widely used. This project has proposed solutions to these problems and the research will allow asynchronous design methods to be more fully developed and will ultimately enable asynchronous circuits to be commonly used. The impact of having asynchronous data processing circuits in devices such as notebook computers and cell phones is that these devices will consume less power allowing them to operate much longer before recharging their batteries. For some applications, the performance of asynchronous circuits will increase since processing will occur on the data as soon as it is available. In contrast, a clocked circuit must wait until the next clock cycle before further data processing can occur. Finally, asynchronous circuits offer more security against certain data stealing attacks known as "side channel" attacks. This will prevent data thieves from accessing your data by listening to the signals emanating from